District Waiting for the First Fil-Am Supervisor
October 29, 2004
San Francisco’s District 11 is one of the heavily APA districts, with more than 2 out of 5 residents identifying as Asian American — many are Filipino and Chinese living southern neighborhoods like the Visitacion Valley. In the race, incumbent Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval is considered vulnerable and is being challenged by five major candidates, including three APAs.
Rolando Bonilla
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: City commissioner; worked in government for eight years; served as chair of the Juvenile Probation Commission.
UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENT: “When Excelsior Health Clinic was in danger of closing four years ago, I […] reached out to then Supervisor Newsom who put the money into the budget to make sure that our health clinic was saved here in the district.” He was able to pass $306,000 to give to the Excelsior Youth Center.
VALUES: Pledges police patrols, clean streets, and tax and regulatory relief. “I consider myself a San Franciscan. I am open to ideas.”
Dr. Anita Grier
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Educator/administrator; serves on the Community College Board.
UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENT: Helped pass Proposition A, a bond for the City College of San Francisco, to build wellness center and a performing arts center for the community.
VALUES: Her “grassroots experience” involves helping the families of children killed in the Oceanview-Merced Heights-Ingleside area. “These families don’t have the resources to bury their children, and they don’t have access to the grief counseling and services that they need. … No matter what ideology, we all agree on safety, jobs, education [and] business. You let me know, I follow through.”
Myrna Lim
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Small-business owner; served on the Planning Commission for inclusive housing policy. “For every 10 housing units, one must be affordable.”
UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENT: “Worked 30 hours a week for free” on the Planning Commission while raising a child and taking care of her mother.
VALUES: “I do not believe that anybody should have the right to take anyone else’s property. I don’t believe we should be taxed to death. … We need jobs. We need to feel safe in our homes. If that’s conservative … moderate … or liberal, so be it.”
Jose Medina
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Served on the California Waste Management Board; Caltrans supervisor; served as police commissioner; worked as a colleague to the mayor on the Board of Supervisors. “We have a very good relationship.”
UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENT: As a member of the California Waste Management Board, he got $800,000 to clean up illegal dumping.
VALUES: He believes in fiscal responsibility, good citizenship and neighborhood revitalization. “The city needs to centralize its collections; St. Anthony’s doesn’t get any public money.” As police commissioner, he raised bail rates “so that we did not have criminals come over from Daly City to commit crimes here.”
Gerardo Sandoval
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Incumbent supervisor; raised $50,000 for the rebuilding of a playground and $6 million for youth jobs; added 80 police officers into the budget.
UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENT: As budget analyst this year, he closed a $350 million gap “by not putting the burden on the backs of the lowest-paid city employees.”
VALUES: Committed to the district’s basic needs like sewers, parks, police and fire department services, and libraries. “I chose government as a career, not politics, … when I was in college.” Public safety is an “important issue” because “we have to invest in kids [not just in police] in order to make us safe.”
Rebecca Silverberg
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Neighborhood/business advocate; worked on Crocker-Amazon playground and Proposition B to restore funds; served as president of the Excelsior District Improvement Association.
UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENT: Founded District 11 Council and District 11 Democratic Club.
VALUES: Opposes the Proposition K business tax. “I work for the values of our neighborhood and … I work for small business.” She would require the city to purchase 25 percent of its goods and services from local small businesses, start a neighborhood newspaper so businesses can advertise, rewrite residential parking law, and install neighborhood parking garages.
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